


Geek is Sexy

by JediDiplomat



Series: Geek is Sexy [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-04
Updated: 2007-09-04
Packaged: 2017-10-22 12:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediDiplomat/pseuds/JediDiplomat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean has always been fascinated by machines</p>
            </blockquote>





	Geek is Sexy

Dean was bored. He was supposed to be researching this ghost story for his dad. He was also supposed to be researching for his civics paper. Surprisingly, but not in the bad way, the two projects were dovetailing nicely. Dean found that one of the topics was folklore and how that shapes a community. Not only did he know most of the stories of the area, hell, his dad had taken care of most of them. Which meant that Dad had most of the notes Dean needed for his paper.

As for the ghost his dad was hunting, and had hinted rather strongly that if Dean kept his grades up he could hunt it too, it seemed a simple salt and burn. Ghost had been haunting members of this upstanding family. Rumor was the son had murdered his girlfriend when he was in high school and she was determined to bring him to justice. Or kill him, it was hard to tell with ghosts sometimes.

That left, Dean checked his watch, an hour before Dad showed up to take him home. Another thing that was stupid. Dean was almost sixteen, he could freakin' walk home from the library himself. Didn't need his father to come and pick him up like a baby.

He glanced around the library. There were a few computers, which was good, since Mr. Collins was kind of a bitch when it came to neat handwriting. Either he had to be able to read it or it had to be typed. The last time Dean had Sam rewrite it and he'd been yanked into the principal's office for cheating. Didn't see what the problem was, it wasn't as if he'd asked Sam to write it write it, just copy his version into something legible. That his dork brother felt the need to correct his spelling and grammar was totally on him.

One more glance around the small library, and Dean got up from the worktable where he'd spread all his research. If anyone asked, he was saying he was looking something up for a project. No way, he was saying it was for pleasure. He wandered over and snagged the magazine off the shelf and quickly walked back to his table. Letting out a sigh of relief when it looked like no one had seen him he opened the pages and soaked up the pictures.

There was a system to these magazines. Dean always checked out the pictures first, just in case someone caught him. Then if he'd managed to look his fill he read the articles. The articles were always more interesting the hows and the whys of the pictures. He'd secretly photocopied a few of the articles and pictures and hid them under his bed. Which he knew was a stupid place to hide them, but it wasn't like he had a lot of privacy. After all, him and Sam were still sharing a room, despite all of Dean's protests that he was old enough for his own room. He didn't even want to think about what Sam would say if he found them. Probably make all sorts of fun of him, the big dork. Like he'd even know what to do with something like this.

Dean flipped through the magazine, stopping at a particular picture. She was gorgeous, all sleek lines and shiny. Damn, she was tall too. Dean checked the page underneath and found the article. Glancing around he went over to the copy machine and pulled out a few quarters. He knew his dad would consider it a waste. He could have just ripped out the article but that seemed....like vandalizing somehow. Dad had always taught them respect for books and especially for libraries. That for people like them, poor people he knew his Dad meant but hunters worked too, this was a place where everyone was equal. Didn't matter if Dad barely made enough to get by. They could still get a card and read the same things that the rich kids could. Probably more, Dad said, because the libraries stocked all sorts of books, not just what one person liked.

The copier whizzed and beeped and he hurriedly grabbed his copies. It wasn't like he was ever gonna see her in person, but the idea of having the article, the details, had fired his brain. He went back to his table and continued to read the magazine. Dean must have lost track of time because he started when a body dropped down next to him. Scowling he glanced up and froze. His dad was sitting there. He didn't look angry; which is what Dean had expected to be caught using schoolwork time for reading. Not to mention reading something that Dad probably considered frivolous. Instead it almost looked like his Dad was amused.

“Can't say I saw this coming,” Dad said, and Dean dropped the magazine and blushed. “Thought you would have gone more for the Playboy.”

“I, uh, they have Playboy here?” Dean finally managed to get out.

John chuckled. “There are times, son, where I'm not sure either of you boys are mine.” At Dean's surprised look, John clapped him on his shoulder. “Both of you got your mother's brains, that's for sure.”

Dean frowned. “You're smart, Dad.” He meant that. He never would have gotten through Algebra without his dad's patient coaching.

John smiled. “At your age, I was more into Playboy than Popular Science.”

Dean blushed again. “It's just...I mean they've got some really cool stuff in here. I know it's not like hunting stuff but that doesn't mean it's not really cool. I mean, Dad, this machine can cause lightning.”

John gave his shoulder a squeeze. “At ease, Dean. Just making an observation, is all. What you read on your downtime is strictly up to you. Do me a favor though, when you do start reading the smut rags, make sure your brother isn't around.”

Dean grinned, “Yes, sir.”

“Now,” John said, sliding the magazine over, “tell me more about this lightning machine.”

* * *

Dean bit his lip.

“It's a good deal. She's older, but she runs Win95 just fine. Might even be able to get a few Linux programs to run on her,” the guy said. He wasn't that much older than Dean, maybe a year or two. “Great machine for college. Portable you know?”

Dean nodded. “I know what a laptop means, thanks. Just worried about the processor. Just a 150? Kinda slow for the money you want for it.”

The guy blinked, but Dean kept the smirk to himself. Yeah, he knew a bit, asshole. He wasn't gonna get screwed on a 150mhz processor for something like 750 dollars. Laptop or not. He'd been saving up, hustling a bit of pool, playing a bit of poker with the rich kids. Despite Dad's objections. Wasn't like he could get a regular job and this paid better.

Melanie had mentioned something about the Internet and free porn and hell any girl that knew where you could get free porn was all right in his book. He hadn't even slept with her, mostly because her mother intimidated the crap out of him and he was starting to think that maybe Melanie batted for the other team. He figured out that he needed a computer of some sort to access this Internet and well, he had money.

He knew computers. Ok, so they were mostly library computers but they were still computers. Dean knew what all the new computers had, he'd read a few of the PC magazines in between reading about cars and girls. So he had a fair idea on how much this laptop should cost. He'd picked this one out, figured he could tinker with it and heck, if he was feeling generous Sam could use it for his papers.

It was disappointing though. He'd thought it would be a lot...shinier. Especially for 750. Which he was not paying. At all. “Listen, the new IBMs are coming out soon. Those will be like 1150 and they'll have a Pentium 4 easy. You'll have to give this one away then.”

“Kid, you don't got 1150,” the guy said.

“I got 750 and between the time it takes me to save up the 1150, I'll get a brand new one.” Dean replied.

“So why don't you do that?”

“Because I don't want a new one. I want one I can tinker with. This one? Seems perfect. Only the price is too damn high. Bring it down to a reasonable level and we'll talk.”

The guy stared at Dean for a moment. Then he snorted and rolled his eyes. Dean tried not to smirk, he so had this guy. “Name your price.”

“It's a nice machine, everything seems to work on it. It's just outdated. Say two hundred?”

“Two hundred. Yer crazy kid.”

“Maybe, but I doubt you'll get a better offer. Considering I'm guessing you're selling it because it's outdated and you want a new one.”

The guy grimaced. “Fine, cashier's check only.”

“Cash be ok?” Dean countered, pulling out the wad of bills from his pocket.

“Jesus, kid, where you'd get cash like that? Know what? I don't wanna know, yeah fine, cash is good. If you wait a day or two, I can wipe it and reload it with Win95.”

“Nah, that's all right. Like I said, wanna tinker with it. Got a disk from a friend I wanna try.”

It took Dean two days before he could actually bring the laptop out and try some of the stuff. Sam had been more of a bitch than usual lately. Whining and getting Dad pissed at them both. Dean had finally told Sam to shut it. He was now over at some kid's house. Dad was in his room doing who knew what and Dean finally had himself some peace.

He pulled out the disk he'd gotten from Melanie. Her dad did some kind of nerdy computer shit but that was how Melanie found the free porn so it couldn't be all bad. Dean popped out the CD tray and put the disk into it and then shut it. Melanie had said that it was pretty simple. Just put the disk into the CD tray and flip it on. The CD would do the rest. Dean watched it turn on, mesmerized by the lines that went across the screen. It beeped at him and then a blinking line was waiting for him.

Dean frowned. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He wished he'd thought to have Melanie over to help him with this, but there was no way he was dealing with his bitch of a brother cooing that Dean hadn't scored with Melanie yet. Especially in front of Melanie or Dad. Besides, he reasoned, how hard could it be really?

Another week past and Dean thought he was doing pretty well. He'd figured most of the basic commands out, mostly by trying things that worked on the computers at school and the library. He'd hit the library and found that there were books on the subject. He'd flipped through a few of them, getting hints and wondering when he could get to the free porn.

Finally he packed it all up and called Melanie. She giggled at him but agreed to let him come over. Melanie was a chubbier girl, one of those his dad would say had curves. Dean privately thought that she had just the right amount to hang on to. Not that he'd ever done it with her. Her clothes were a little big on her, as if she was having a hard time finding the right size. Her hair was blond, her eyes were a pretty shade of gray and she was a whiz with the computer.

She led him up to her room, rolling her eyes as her mom told them to keep the door open. “Like dad doesn't have all sorts of porn on his computer,” she said. She turned to him with a smile. “So? Lemme see it.”

Dean pulled out his laptop, finding himself feeling kinda embarrassed by it. He'd been having a lot of fun and learning a helluva lot about it, but looking around at Melanie and especially her dad's computer he kinda felt out of his league.

“That's sweet. Are you running Alt on it?” She asked, running her hands over it. Dean suddenly wanted, very badly, to be the laptop.

“Uh, yeah. It booted up just like you said, but I can't figure out what I need for the Internet,” Dean said.

Melanie smirked at him. “That's because it's not on the computer. You need a phone line, and then you need the special number.”

“It's not, I mean are the calls free?” God he felt like an idiot but he really couldn't rack up any charges. Not that they weren't probably going to skip out on the utilities anyway, but he was pretty sure Dad had put his own name down on the lease. Well, maybe not, Dad sometimes put someone else's name on the lease and registered them in their own name. Still, Dad would have a fucking conniption fit if he saw long distance calls.

Melanie's smirk got wider. “Oh yeah, as long as you pick local numbers. Here, I'll show you.” She turned her own computer on and then showed him how he could set it up. “Dad's got a few of these accounts. Here, you can use this one,” she said, writing down something on a piece of paper.

Dean glanced at the paper and frowned. It looked like a bunch of gibberish to him. “Ok,” he said, trying not to feel completely stupid in front of her.

“You put that in here,” Melanie said, reaching over Dean and showing him the screen. She entered the information and then sat back. “Right, so plug the phone line in here,” she said, plugging in the phone line to a little cordy thing that was attached to the computer, “and away you go.”

Dean blinked as the computer made strange beeps and jangles. It was loud and he wondered if he could make it quiet. He had a feeling he wasn't going to be getting much sleep in the next few weeks as the first pages of the world wide web came up on his screen.

* * *

Dean stared at the paper as if it would reach up and bite him. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He'd gotten into fucking MIT. For engineering or robotics or fuck anything he wanted. Some place where he wouldn't be a freak that liked to blow shit up. This place only took freaks that blew shit up. He'd been there once, when they'd been investigating a fire demon. Had turned out to be just some kind of elaborate practical joke some of the students were playing.

Dad had been furious at the wasted time but Dean had thought it was the coolest thing ever. God, the amount of planning and precision it would have taken. Making it look like the fire was doing it on it's own. Burning quick and dirty, no sign of anything. It had taken Dean's breath away, transfixed him when the fire had burst life size in front of him.

The fact that he'd almost been burned alive hadn't dampened anything. Dad had tackled him just in time and that was when the students had confessed. They hadn't been out to hurt anyone, and in compensation they'd showed Dean how they'd set the entire thing up. Most of it had gone straight over Dean's head but he caught the gist. Since then, he'd wanted to go there. Knew that it was the place for him.

Dad had never said they couldn't go to college. Hadn't said anything either way. He could do it. It was just four years. Four years and then he could come back, he'd be smarter, faster, quicker. Able to build things that would help them find the thing that killed Mom. Maybe they'd teach him how to find it, track it. Dad was always saying he was smart, the teachers thought he was smart but not motivated. MIT would motivate him; he was sure of it.

He scanned the letter and another phrase caught his eye. Full scholarship based on financial need. Damn, they were desperate to get him. Desperate enough to pay for him to go there. It would all be paid for; Dad wouldn't have to worry about that. He could come home during the summer and breaks, help Dad with the hunting evil.

Sounds of a fight broke through Dean's fantasies. Glancing up, he focused in and sighed. Sam and Dad again. Jesus, ever since Sam had figured out puberty, or the Declaration of Independence or fuck Dean didn't even know, he'd been pushing Dad's buttons. Questioning everything like he had any say in what the hell went on or where. All but ordering them to stay put. Which hadn't gone over well.

Dean sighed, crumpling the letter up and flicking his Zippo to light it up. He grimaced thinking of the prank as the flame caught the ink encrusted papers inviting him to be part of the class of 2001.

* * *

Dean didn't even bother glancing up as John came into the room. Around him was various bits of wiring and electronic flotsam. John held up a bag of fast food and Dean shrugged. He was almost done. He had it almost figured out.

“Dean,” John said, his voice soft but Dean heard the steel all the same.

“In a minute,” he replied, frowning as he tried to figure out how the pieces would work. He knew he had the right parts, it was just fitting it right.

“Now, Dean,” John said, his voice no louder. Dean sighed and turned away from his newest project and toward the food. They ate in silence for a while before John glanced over at the bits of wiring and such spread out across Dean's bed. “What are you working on now?”

Dean glanced at his father in surprise. John hadn't mentioned any of Dean's other little experiments. Not the rock salt shells, not the goldwave emitter he'd programmed on his laptop, none of it. Not that Dean needed the validation but it'd have been nice for his dad to at least acknowledge the presence of some of his inventions.

“Uh, an EMF reader. I saw it in one of those spook hunter mags, you know the ones that got so popular after the X-files came out? Anyway, figured it couldn't hurt right? Just um, haven't figured it all out yet.”

John's lips quirked. “Try not to blow up the motel this time.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “*I* was not the one that almost blew up the motel,” he said.

“Mmm, I distinctly remember telling you not to touch the toaster,” John replied.

“Dude! I was eight! I thought if I could get a ghost trap working...” Dean trailed off, letting his eyes slide away from John's.

“You thought what?” John asked quietly.

Dean shrugged. “Thought maybe you might be able to catch what killed Mom.”

There was silence for a while. Then John said. “You do know that Ghostbusters is only a movie, right?”

“Dude!” Dean exclaimed, a smile on his lips. “Again, I was eight!”

John laughed. “So what have I sacrificed for the greater good this time?”

Dean blushed. “Uh, nothing. I uh, I'm using my walkman.”

John looked at him for a moment. “You sure, son? I'm sure we could head to Radio Shack and get what you need.”

Dean shrugged. “It wasn't working right anyway, but um, thanks for the offer.”

John nodded and finished his meal. After a moment, Dean did the same thing. As Dean was cleaning up from their meal, John glanced up at him. “You've got a good head on your shoulders, son. Don't let no one tell you different.”

Dean blinked and frowned. “Yes, sir. Thanks.”

* * *

Dean grinned at his dad before running his finger down a phone list. Stopping at one name he picked up the phone. “Hi, Pauline is it? I'm with System Administration. We've had a glitch last night and I just wanted to make sure your computer wasn't affected. Has it been running slower than usual lately? It has?” Dean winked at his dad and John rolled his eyes, waving at Dean to hurry it along.

“Yeah, looks like your account is one of those affected. Right, if you could just give me your username and password I can check it real quick down here. Oh, you're going to lunch now? That's perfect. Uh huh...ok, thanks Pauline. I'll have it fixed by the time you come back from lunch.” Dean hung up the phone and stifled a crow. It had worked. He hadn't actually expected it to work. That was awesome!

“You got it?” John asked, clearly a bit stunned it had worked as well.

“Yeah, dude, she just gave it to me. I'm awesome!” Dean said, sliding the floppy disk back into his pocket. He preferred it this way, finessing computer access instead of brute force. Not that he was completely against brute force if he didn't have a lot of time. Still, the guy was dead, they were technically police this time around and had been given carte blanche to the office for the day. Life didn't get much better than this.

Dean sat down behind the computer and grinned. This was his favorite part. Dean typed in Pauline's username and password, then started working. Pauline had access to all her boss' files. Which gave him access to more information. His dad was reading over his shoulder but so far there wasn't anything to suggest that the dead guy, Martin Phillips, was guilty of anything. Of course, they hadn't gotten into Martin's files themselves. Only his partner's. Dean got himself into the server and from there he changed Martin's password and let himself in. He shook his head. It was entirely too easy and he was almost disappointed.

Dean and John searched for almost and hour and despite Dean now knowing more than he ever wanted to know about the inner working of grain distributors there wasn't anything here. Just as they were to give up, John frowned.

“Dean, is there a way to tell how many files are in a directory?” John asked.

“Uh, yeah. Hold on,” Dean said, backing up a bit and then clicking on the property link. Windows indexed the file and Dean grunted. “Huh,”

“What?” John asked.

“Dude, how'd you know there were files missing?” Dean asked, clicking through several screens until he finally clicked back into the files. There, transparent, were a bunch of files that hadn't been there before.

“I didn't. Just didn't seem right. Usually business types keep everything. A CYA thing. Did the same thing in the Corps,” John said flashing his son a grin.

“Wow, ok. Dude, got some seriously twisted shit going on,” Dean said, wishing he'd thought to bring a portable hard drive. He'd gotten one cheap at one of those computer sales that were held at some state fair grounds. Put it together himself.

“Surprised some of these people didn't get to him first,” John said quietly.

“So what? Think someone conjured something to take him out? Some sort of supernatural hit?”

“Maybe,” John said. He glanced over at his son. “Can you get back into this files from the motel? I need to check them against what we have so far.”

Dean frowned, thinking. “Yeah, I think so. It'll be harder, but” Dean's grin became positively wolfish. “I do like a good challenge.”

* * *

Dean grunted. Sam had been staring at the screen forever. Dean sighed and Sam gave him the bitch face. “Anytime now, princess,” Dean said.

“Dude, it's not like this is easy,” Sam snapped back, staring at the screen before typing in another combination. Dean rolled his eyes. Yeah, it wasn't easy if you were just going to guess the password. Jesus, his brother was a twit sometimes.

“Would you go do something productive?” Sam snapped.

Dean bit his tongue on his comeback. Sam was the smart one. He was the one that went to college. He'd completely shot down the EMF, going so far as to make Dean spend hard earned cash to buy one that “works.” Dean was getting a little fed up with his brother's pigheaded refusal to see anything beyond his own fucking nose.

“Got it,” Sam said, giving Dean a haughty look.

“Great, what's in there?” Dean asked, not really caring at this point. They knew it was a ghost, they just needed to find out where the body is buried.

“Not a helluva lot. Dude, c'mon. Give me a break here,” Sam said, glancing up at the face Dean was making.

“Yeah, whatever. Can we go already? C'mon, them bones aren't going to set themselves on fire.”

* * *

“Dean...what the fuck is this?” Sam demanded.

Dean stopped and looked around, trying to figure out what his brother was talking about before giving up and asking. “What?”

“This. The laptop. What the hell, Dean?”

Oh, that. Dean came around the screen and tapped on the touch pad. The screen saver shut off, a special he'd gotten from a hacker contact of his, Asian babes on classic bikes. Course, he'd thought it was motorcycles but he had to give the guy props when it turned out to be two wheelers. He'd kept it because it made him laugh every single time. “Haven't you ever seen a laptop in those fancy colleges of yours?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, just what the hell is this?” Sam asked, managing to make each word drip with disdain. Dean mentally cringed.

“Called Linux. You're always on my case not to steal shit, this is free,” Dean shrugged.

“Yeah, but where the hell are all the damn programs? How do I get out onto the web?” Sam snapped.

Dean checked himself from rolling his eyes. Sam was the smart one he reminded himself. “Hold on,” he said, reaching over Sam again and hitting a few keys. “Ok, there. Click on that button and you'll bring up the web browser.”

“How'd you learn this stuff?” Sam asked, frowning. “You and Dad can barely work toasters.”

Dean flinched but didn't say anything. It was such an offhand comment and yet, Dean knew that Sam meant it. “yeah, well, some guy set it up for me. Fuck if I know how it works. Told me how to use it and away I went.”

“Yeah, that's you. Always were really good with orders.”

Dean wanted to retort but Sam was already absorbed with whatever research he was doing. *Yeah*, he thought, *that's obviously all I'm good for.*

FIN


End file.
